Shoe-lace fastener.



B. G. OLSON. sHoE LAGE FASTENER. APPLICATION FILED MAY 20. 1914.

Patented June 8, 1915.

WITN ESSES INVENTOR ATTORNEY 1HE NURRIS PETERS COA. PHOTOJJTHQ, WASHINGTON. D. C.

' BERNARD e. oLsoN, or enINooK,y MONTANA.

SHOE-LACE FASTEN ER.

Speccationof Letters Patent.

Application filed May 2G, 1914. Serial No. 839,800.

T0 all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, BERNARD G. OLSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chinook, in the county of Blaine and State of Montana, have invented a new and useful Shoe-Lace Fastener, ofy which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvement in shoe lace fastenersf The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of shoe lace fasteners and to provide a simple, practical, and inexpensive device adapted to be readily applied to a shoe lace and capable of enabling the same to be laced through a shoe singly and of being readily engaged with one of the hooks of a shoe, whereby the shoe lace is fastened without tying.

A further object of the invention is to provide a shoe lace fastener of this character capable of yielding to the movement of the foot without loosening the tension on the shoe lace, so that there will be no liability of the same becoming accidentally unfastened and adapted also to provide a convenient finger hold to facilitate fastening and unfastening the shoe lace.

`With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the construction and novel combination ofparts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and pointed out in the claim hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claim, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings Figure l is a perspective view of a portion of a shoe showing a shoe lace equipped with a fastener constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the shoe lace. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectionalr view taken through the fastener and one end of theyshoe lace. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the fastener. Fig. 6 is a similar view of the metal lace holding sleeve. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a shoe lace fastener showing another form ofv the invention.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawing.

In the accompanying drawing, in which is illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention,.l designates a shoe lace provided at one end with an ordinary metallic tip 2 and having its other terminal portion passed through an opening 3 in a shoe lace fastener 4 and doubled or folded back on itself Y to form a loop 5, which extends around the inner portion of the fastener 4. The end G of the shoe lace is secured to the body portion of the same by a metallic sleeve 7 receiving the sides of the looped portion of the shoe lace and arranged contiguous to the inner end of the shoe lace fastener 4. The metallic sleeve, which is preferably tapered and slightly flared to facilitate the introduction of the terminal portion of the lace into it, is secured to the shoe lace by being compressed and flattened.` The metallic sleeve is also preferably provided with interior projections or protuberances 8, formed by lindentingthe same exteriorly, or in any other suitable manner, whereby the metallic sleeve is adapted to grip the shoe lace and effectually prevent the same from slipping through it.

The shoe lace fastener, which may be of elongated octagonal form, or any other desired configuration, preferably consists of a thin flat piece of rubber, and the lace receiving opening 3, which is located near the inner end of the fastener, is also adapted to be engagedwith one of the hooks 9 of a shoelO, the opening performing the double function of a lace receiving and a hook engaging aperture. The outer portion of the shoe lace fastener 4 constitutes a finger hold and is adapted to be readily grasped to enable the fastener to be easily engaged with and disengaged from one of the hooks 9 of a shoe l0.

The elasticity of the shoe lace fastener enables the same to yield to the movement of the foot without loosening the shoe lace. This will enable a shoe to be laced comfortably without liability of excessively straining the shoe lace or permitting the same to loosen sufliciently to allow the fastener to become accidentally disengaged from the hook.

Instead of providing a round opening in the shoe lace fastener, as shown in Figs. l toy 5 inclusive, the shoe lace fastener may be provided with a straight slot or slit 11, as illustrated in Fig. 7 of the drawing.

In applying the shoe lace to a shoe 10, the shoe lace fastener is engaged with one of the hooks 9, and the shoe string is laced singly Patented June 8, 1915.

Y Which the metallic tip is cut olf.

VrThe single lacing of the shoe presents a neater apearance than a double string lacing,y and at the same time enables a shoe to.y be laced and unlaced with greater rapidity and ease.

- Vhat is claimed is A device of the class described including al Y lace fastener consisting of a piece of elastic material provided With a single hook-engaging opening, a lace having its outer enel looped through the hook-engaging opening of the said fastener, and a means for per- Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing Washington, D; C.

Y ing Yifornnng a Inanently securing the looped end of the ace tothe body portion thereof, that p0rtion 'of the elastic' piece beyond the open- Y elastic kvpiece permitting the fastener to Vbe stretched over the hook While the lace is taut.

,In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afxed my sig'- nature in the presence of tvvo Witnesses.

j Y BERNARD G. OLSON. `Vlitnesses: f

GEORGE PUTNAM,

L. V. BoGY.

the Commissioner of latents,V

4 nger hold to enable it to" Vbe readily rengaged with and disengaged from vone of the hooks of a shoe Vor the like,l said' 

